“Sang Chen, let’s get a divorce.”
Sang Chen slammed the teacup in his hand onto the floor. “What did you say? Divorce? Lhazhen, at a time like this, you actually want to abandon me and run away on your own?”
“I’m not running away. I’m trying to leave myself and my daughter a way to survive.”
Lhazhen met his murderous glare without backing down. “The authorities have already spoken to capitalists like you, haven’t they? Being sent to the Northwest is practically a done deal.”
“So what! Even if I die, you have to die with me!”
“Die together?” A bitter, mocking smile tugged at the corners of Lhazhen’s lips.
“Once we get to the Northwest, if your life becomes difficult, I’m afraid the first thing you’ll do is sell me and our daughters off in exchange for a better life for yourself. Sang Chen, I can endure any kind of life with you, but I will never let you ruin my daughters’ lives!”
Lhazhen took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over her two innocent daughters standing in the corner. Her heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.
“I must take both of my daughters with me. I won’t let them become bargaining chips in your hands!”
“You!” Lhazhen had struck a nerve. Sang Chen trembled with rage and pointed at her nose as he cursed, “You’ve gone too far! Absolutely too far! Fine! If you want to leave, go ahead. But the girls are members of the Sang family. Don’t even think about taking either of them with you!”
Lhazhen was completely unfazed. “Then would you like me to dig up the pear tree in the backyard and let all the cadres from the organization have a good look at what’s buried underneath?”
“You’re threatening me?” Sang Chen gritted his teeth, but his confidence had clearly weakened.
After all, if the things buried beneath the pear tree were discovered, the consequences would be far more serious than simply being sent away for reeducation.
“I’m not threatening you. I’m informing you.” Lhazhen spoke each word clearly. “This marriage is ending. I will take my daughters with me.”
Sang Chen’s expression changed again and again. His chest heaved violently before he finally forced the words through clenched teeth.
“…They’re nothing but two burdens anyway. I don’t care which one you take. But you can only take one!”
Sang Luo stood on the second-floor staircase, listening to this familiar conversation, her eyes widening in shock.
Had she… returned to the past after dying?
On this very day in her previous life, her mother had also decided to take both daughters and divorce her father, only to be told that she could take only one daughter.
When Sang Yun learned that being sent away for reeducation would be extremely difficult, she had cried and screamed that she wanted to stay behind. She had insisted that she would rather die than follow their father and had even smashed her own head against something.
In the end, her mother had no choice but to leave with Sang Yu, while she followed Sang Chen and was sent away to the Northwest.
Conditions in the Northwest were harsh. Her two younger brothers were only a year younger than her, and their father favored sons over daughters. All he knew was how to order her to do chores for her brothers, making her suffer terribly in the Northwest.
It was only once, while she was chopping vegetables, that she accidentally cut her finger. Her blood dripped onto the red cord her mother had given her, and she unexpectedly gained a miraculous space and a mystical spirit spring.
Only then did her life begin to improve.
It was not until several years later that their entire family finally returned to Rong City.
She became an attending physician at a hospital in Rong City, while her father made a name for himself in the capital and earned a considerable fortune.
Because her younger brother had drunk the spirit spring water and developed an exceptionally strong constitution, he earned military merits one after another after joining the army.
Through him, she met the grandson of a military district commander. After he pursued her for some time, her father more or less forced her into marrying him.
It was also at the military compound that she saw her mother and younger sister, whom she had not seen in years.
Only then did she learn that after divorcing her father, her mother had returned to her hometown of Kangba and remarried there.
Sang Yun had also been married off by their mother to several sons of her stepfather’s family. The eldest son was a battalion commander in the military district, and he had come back this time to visit his family.
Feeling sorry for her mother and sister, Sang Luo had given them plenty of money and ration coupons.
But Sang Yun had secretly resented her because she had not been favored by her stepfather’s brothers after following their mother to the Tibetan region. After marrying into the family, she had been left to live like a widow and had grown increasingly bitter toward Sang Luo.
Especially after seeing how glamorous Sang Luo’s life had become, she had taken advantage of the darkness to set fire to Sang Luo’s home, burning her alive.
Remembering the agony of being consumed by flames in her previous life, Sang Luo’s knuckles turned slightly white as she gripped the staircase railing.
“Dad, I don’t want to go with Mom! I want to stay with you. Even if we’re sent away for reeducation, I’m not afraid!”
Sang Yun suddenly rushed out of her room and shouted.
Hearing Sang Yun’s words, Lhazhen looked up at her in surprise.
“A-Yun, do you know what you’re saying?”
Sang Yun nodded decisively. “I know. Mom, don’t worry. I can endure hardship. Let Sister go with you!”
Standing to the side, Sang Luo watched the secretly delighted expression on Sang Yun’s face and immediately understood.
She had been reborn too.
“But, A-Yun, if you don’t go with Mom, then you’ll have to…”
“I’m not afraid!” Sang Yun interrupted Lhazhen, looking at her with determination. “Mom, I’m not going with you. I want to stay by Dad’s side.”
After saying that, Sang Yun glanced at Sang Luo smugly, a triumphant smile curling at the corners of her lips.
In her previous life, after marrying those brothers, none of them ever came home. She had endured endless contempt and humiliation in the Tibetan region and had eventually been forced to accept Sang Luo’s charity, only to have Sang Luo flaunt her superiority right in front of her.
Now that she had been given another chance, she would absolutely take Sang Luo’s path and follow their father when he was sent away.
She wanted a father who would become a billionaire, capable brothers, and a young, promising battalion commander for a husband!
“Then what about A-Luo? Are you willing to go with Mom?”
After being rejected by Sang Yun, Lhazhen looked at Sang Luo somewhat uncertainly, even nervously.
Sang Luo nodded. “Mom, wherever you go, I’ll go with you.”
Hearing that Sang Luo had chosen to leave with Lhazhen, Sang Yun secretly scoffed.
Idiot.
This time, that poor family and those husbands who looked down on her and constantly ignored her could all be left for Sang Luo to “enjoy.”
Sang Chen glared fiercely at Sang Luo. “Ungrateful burden. Hurry up and get out with her!”
Then he shoved Sang Luo aside at the foot of the stairs and went upstairs without looking back.
Lhazhen had long since seen through Sang Chen’s hypocrisy and cold-heartedness. She no longer had any attachment to him.
But her daughters were her own flesh and blood. She could not simply abandon them. She walked over to Sang Yun, took her daughter’s hand, and repeatedly reminded her.
“A-Yun, if life becomes difficult in the Northwest, you must write to Mom. I’ll send you things too. Remember to keep them somewhere safe. Don’t let yourself suffer, understand?”
Sang Yun was still caught up in her excitement. She was even worried that Lhazhen and Sang Luo might come looking for her in the future and embarrass her, so she impatiently shook Lhazhen’s hand away.
“Dad won’t mistreat me. Mom, you’re the one who gave up on Dad because you can’t endure hardship. You’re the one who let him down. When we become successful in the future, don’t even think about benefiting from us!”
Lhazhen had never expected her younger daughter to speak to her like that. She froze where she stood.
Sang Yun ignored her, turned around, ran back into her room, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
“Mom, don’t be sad.” Sang Luo took Lhazhen’s hand and silently comforted her.
“A-Luo, thank goodness Mom still has you.” Lhazhen wiped away the tears in her eyes. “Tomorrow, after Mom divorces your father, the two of us will return to Kangba.”
Sang Luo nodded. “I’ll go to the vocational school tomorrow to collect my graduation certificate.”
“Good. Go back to your room and rest for now. Mom will pack our things.”
Sang Luo stood up from the sofa as well. “Mom, I’ll help you pack.”
Lhazhen worked quickly and efficiently.
Although she was the lady of the household, she had lived like a servant, taking care of every chore, big or small.
Sang Luo helped fold the clothes beside her, her hand unconsciously moving to her wrist.
Hmm?
She did not feel the familiar sensation.
Sang Luo lowered her head in confusion.
The red cord that should have been tied around her wrist at this time had disappeared.
Could it be…?
Taking advantage of the moment when Lhazhen went out to look for bags, Sang Luo picked up a piece of clothing and silently thought to herself.
The clothes in her hand instantly disappeared, reappearing inside the space, which was filled with all kinds of supplies.
Sang Luo pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, concealing the excitement in them.
She never expected that the space from her previous life had returned with her.
And it had even brought back all the supplies she had stored inside!
Sang Luo still remembered what her mother had looked like when she saw her in her previous life—her skin roughened by years of wind and sun.
This time, with all these things, she would never let her mother suffer again.
And… there was one more thing she had to do.